georgina wrote:irie wrote:just wondering if anyone has heard back about need-based finaid packages? I submitted everything before the March 1st deadline and from these forums it sounds like we could be hearing back as early as mid-March.

was anyone else a gunner at finaid forms like me? hehe... i just really need the money

i also submitted by the deadline and have not yet heard back.

at the ASDs the Financial Aid Director said that currently they are reviewing files for completeness and contacting applicants whose financial aid files are not complete, and that award decisions would begin in late March or early April. I e-mailed them this weekend, as I know others have, asking for an award notification by the end of this month to consider before other scholarship deadlines. Here's hoping they care...

irie wrote:just wondering if anyone has heard back about need-based finaid packages? I submitted everything before the March 1st deadline and from these forums it sounds like we could be hearing back as early as mid-March.

was anyone else a gunner at finaid forms like me? hehe... i just really need the money

i also submitted by the deadline and have not yet heard back.

Overnight mailed everything in to get it there by the deadline after getting the financial aid questionnaire in the mail on the last possible day to submit it in time and haven't heard back. I emailed them a few days ago with my NYU offer and asking if they could give an estimate for when the financial aid offer would be available, but they haven't so much as acknowledged my email.

I just realized I didn't fill out that Financial Aid Questionnaire (yeah, I'm an idiot). but the only one i can find online is for the 2009-2010 school year. I emailed Columbia to ask about it like a week ago, but they haven't gotten back. Anyone find the real form online?

glowhard wrote:I just realized I didn't fill out that Financial Aid Questionnaire (yeah, I'm an idiot). but the only one i can find online is for the 2009-2010 school year. I emailed Columbia to ask about it like a week ago, but they haven't gotten back. Anyone find the real form online?

irie wrote:just wondering if anyone has heard back about need-based finaid packages? I submitted everything before the March 1st deadline and from these forums it sounds like we could be hearing back as early as mid-March.

was anyone else a gunner at finaid forms like me? hehe... i just really need the money

judging from last year's thread, I don't think we'll hear back until very late march / early april at the earliest. I hope I'm wrong though!

So I've sent all my finaid forms in, however I was wondering when the best time is to let columbia know about my other offers. Now, before they make a decision, or later and try to negotiate? And how would one go about wording that email? thanks!

julesm2200 wrote:So I've sent all my finaid forms in, however I was wondering when the best time is to let columbia know about my other offers. Now, before they make a decision, or later and try to negotiate? And how would one go about wording that email? thanks!

It's tricky. If you let them know now, then you have nothing to negotiate with after they make their initial offer. But if you don't let them know now, the initial offer might be lower. I'm not sure what the right approach is.

julesm2200 wrote:So I've sent all my finaid forms in, however I was wondering when the best time is to let columbia know about my other offers. Now, before they make a decision, or later and try to negotiate? And how would one go about wording that email? thanks!

It's tricky. If you let them know now, then you have nothing to negotiate with after they make their initial offer. But if you don't let them know now, the initial offer might be lower. I'm not sure what the right approach is.

after writing an email to the financial aid office over the weekend requesting an award letter by end of march because of 3 upcoming scholarship deadlines, I got a nice response today basically saying we understand the pressure, they are doing their best but can't guarantee a decision by any particular date. they suggested i request an extension from the schools in question if necessary...

they also said "if there is information you wish us to consider" regarding other offers, i should send in copies of the other offers; i probably should have taken the advice posted on here to just send in PDF's initially. the good news is that it sounds like they will take those offers into consideration while making their initial award.

looks like it's going to be a lot of back and forth negotiating/extension requesting/last minute decision-making come that first week of april for me...

I got an email from CLS Financial Aid requesting my 2009 w2 forms yesterday. All of my materials were sent in by 3rd week of Feb, so it looks like they are making their way through the need-based apps.

Dtackpat75 wrote:Think financial aid decisions will go out either tomrrow or Saturday?

I talked to a woman at the finaid office today who said they just sent out their first batch. But it seems that they lost my financial aid questionnaire because I received an email saying that it's missing. I faxed a new one right away, but now I'm worried it will be forever before I hear anything.

Dtackpat75 wrote:Think financial aid decisions will go out either tomrrow or Saturday?

I talked to a woman at the finaid office today who said they just sent out their first batch. But it seems that they lost my financial aid questionnaire because I received an email saying that it's missing. I faxed a new one right away, but now I'm worried it will be forever before I hear anything.

Thanks for sharing what you learned from the financial aid office. Starting tomorrow, I will be nervously (and hopefully) checking my mailbox for an envelope from Columbia.

This may seem like a dumb question on the surface, but do they ever award scholarships to people who didn't fill out the forms (other than a H or B)? Chicago just sent me a letter offering me some $ (nothing earth-shattering but definitely nothing to scoff at either) and I didn't fill out Need Access or any other financial aid apps with them or with any other school since my parents' income automatically disqualifies me. Also, I wonder if CLS would entertain the idea of matching Chicago's offer or if it would be a bad idea to bring this up. I really want to go to CLS and I thought I had made up my mind, but the fact that it would now be twice as expensive for me to go to CLS rather than Chicago is making me reconsider.

blue5385 wrote:This may seem like a dumb question on the surface, but do they ever award scholarships to people who didn't fill out the forms (other than a H or B)?

Based on what I've read, CLS will not award aid (besides Hamiltons and Butlers) until the admitted student has submitted the required paperwork. Not all schools are like this, but CLS is apparently a stickler for completed forms and need access applications.

blue5385 wrote:This may seem like a dumb question on the surface, but do they ever award scholarships to people who didn't fill out the forms (other than a H or B)?

Based on what I've read, CLS will not award aid (besides Hamiltons and Butlers) until the admitted student has submitted the required paperwork. Not all schools are like this, but CLS is apparently a stickler for completed forms and need access applications.

That makes sense. So is all their non H/B-aid strictly need based? It seems like it based on their insistence that students submit all their parents' information to the financial aid office, but I wasn't sure.

blue5385 wrote:This may seem like a dumb question on the surface, but do they ever award scholarships to people who didn't fill out the forms (other than a H or B)? Chicago just sent me a letter offering me some $ (nothing earth-shattering but definitely nothing to scoff at either) and I didn't fill out Need Access or any other financial aid apps with them or with any other school since my parents' income automatically disqualifies me. Also, I wonder if CLS would entertain the idea of matching Chicago's offer or if it would be a bad idea to bring this up. I really want to go to CLS and I thought I had made up my mind, but the fact that it would now be twice as expensive for me to go to CLS rather than Chicago is making me reconsider.

The language on the website seems to be pretty clear that you must submit Need Access, FAFSA and their own questionnaire to be considered for institutional grants.

Also, do we definitely know they send financial aid awards by mail? Or could we hope for emails?